Cardinal DiNardo pushes special session to revive abortion bill

Catholic Cardinal Daniel DiNardo joined a chorus of abortion opponents asking Gov. Rick Perry to call a second special session after a filibuster Tuesday night killed Senate Bill 5.

“I talked to our Texas Catholic Conference about a week ago and I was under the impression the votes were there,” DiNardo told the Houston Chronicle. “I was very disappointed when I woke up.”

An 11-hour filibuster by Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth and a chaotic, confusing atmosphere with hundreds of demonstrators yelling from the gallery killed the measure, which a majority of lawmakers supported. It would have banned most abortions after 20 weeks and required clinics to make costly upgrades. Perry is expected to call a second special session for the abortion measure, as well as bills on transportation funding an a criminal justice matter that died with the filibuster.

“We will continue to pray for the protection of all life from conception to natural death, as we also continue our ministry to women who are considering, or who have had, an abortion,” wrote DiNardo in a press release.